PULWAMA, Aug 12: The cordon and search operation launched by the security forces in Zakir Musa's native village, Noorpora, Tral on Friday ended Saturday after over 20 hours even as clashes erupted in another village of the district, Trichal after the security forces laid siege to the area early this morning.

Government forces including army, special operations group (SOG) and para-military forces late in the afternoon on Friday had laid cordon around Noorpora following specific input about a group of militants including Zakir Musa hiding in the village. As soon as the siege was laid to the village, local youth took to streets and clashed with the security forces by resorting to stone throwing. Later clashes intensified after the youth from neighbouring villages also rushed towards the village and joined the stone pelting protests.

Though the forces had resorted to heavy tear-gassing to drive away the youth who, local sources, said refused to relent. Amid intense clashes, security forces continued to carry out house to house searches in different localities of the village till late night. Local and official sources said that though the search operation was suspended late night following the fierce clashes but was resumed early morning.

"The search operation was called off at around 8.30 AM in the morning after security forces failed to locate the militants," sources told Kashmir Times.

Though the local sources said that the militants had managed to escape only last evening but the police officials said that nothing can be said about whether the militants were really hiding in the village or not. "There was information about the presence of militants but no contact was established with them," police official said.

Clashes broke out between security forces and youth in Trichal village of the district also after the former launched search operation in the village today.

Local sources said that security forces had laid siege of the village during the night hours only and started carrying out searches early this morning to locate the militants who were believed to be hiding in the village.

"As the security forces started searches local youth in huge numbers came out to pelt them with stones to disrupt the operation. The search operation continued for several hours despite stone throwing protests and was unsuccessfully called off at around 12:30 pm," a local told Kashmir Times.

Meanwhile, an unprecedented shutdown was observed in south Kashmir region in response to the call given joint resistance leadership against the attempts to abrogate Article 370 granting special position to Jammu and Kashmir.

Streets and roads in all the major and small townships of south Kashmir including Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian presented a deserted look with shops and other business offices remaining shut and traffic completely off the roads.

Tral township has been observing shutdown for last four days over the killing of three militants and a civilian by the security forces in Gulab Bagh area on Wednesday. Two militants and a civilian hailed from three different villages of sub-division Tral while the third one was a resident of Trich Pulwama.

PULWAMA, Aug 12: The cordon and search operation launched by the security forces in Zakir Musa's native village, Noorpora, Tral on Friday ended Saturday after over 20 hours even as clashes erupted in another village of the district, Trichal after the security forces laid siege to the area early this morning.
Government forces including army, special operations group (SOG) and para-military forces late in the afternoon on Friday had laid cordon around Noorpora following specific input about a